Jasline, The Seer
by Kira-Dai
Summary: Jasline is just an average girl in the eyes of most people...Well maybe not, Shes a bit of a 'freak' in the social world. But no one knows how different she is.
1. Jasline

JASLINE

I am Jasline. The girl well known by her rabid love of sunglasses and dark clothes. I am the weirdo. The freak at the back of the class. But I have my reasons. I am a seer. I see the future. I see your thoughts, your aura. I am gifted...and cursed. I wear the glasses because my amber eyes shine red when the light hits them. It's my mark. How I am distinguished from all the other humans around me.. But I also wear them because it dulls the intensity of the auras around me, their soft luminosity... They are how I hide who I am and what I see from the world. And nothing could make me part with them. As for the dark clothes. I merely like them. And the Demonia boots are just plain wicked cool.. But it does suit me, doesn't it? To be different, isn't it also suspected of one to look different? Even though the extent of my uniqueness to most is a intense love of literature and a darker shade of clothing. Though I differ so lightly by first glance, I am unaccepted. But no matter. It is better that way. I'd rather be ignored than accepted and forced to constantly hide my secret in a shroud of lies. That is no way to treat the people I care for.. Luckily the people close to me I don't care for much.. My mother hates me and my father ignores me. And friends...well, I have none. I am kind enough, of course. But it's hard to talk to someone when you already know everything they are going to say. Especially when you end up just thinking what you should have said. So despite any efforts, all attempts at friendship were left in the dust. There in leaving me alone with my gift. With not even a guiding hand to explain what was happening..


	2. Shail

SHAIL

At least I thought I was alone. While sitting in my favorite seat in the back corner of the classroom where the sparest amount of light fell, a new student entered the room. We had had a few this year. It wasn't a new occurrence. So I didn't raise my head or join in the chatter immediately. But when silence slid over the room, most certainly cut off by Mrs. Snider's, our teacher, hand and she began to tell us we did indeed have a new student; I looked up. And met the most startling red eyes focused intently on me. And even though I'd looked up and met his gaze, his didn't falter. Even though he shouldn't have been able to notice me looking, the gained intensity of his stare suggested he had. Even though I noticed all this, none of it really clicked because I was still memorized by the color of his eyes. Were they real? Was he like me? Or were they some of those colored contacts. He was most certainly a rebel-looking guy. It's possible he wore the contacts to stick out...Maybe.. "..and his name is Shail, of course. I hope you'll help him feel at home." Mrs. Snider's voice slowly became more focused upon as I drew my eyes away from him, only to catch the end of her cheerful introduction. "Why don't you sit right here up front. If you feel uncomfortable, we can always fix that." "No. It's fine." He said, his voice deep with a hint of detachment as he continued to stare at me as he took his seat. I felt his eyes leave, forced to the forefront as Mrs. Snide requested his attention to go over our criteria and asked the boy by him to fill him in on how our class worked. But even though I knew he wasn't looking at me, I could feel where his gaze had been like he'd touched me. And I had to rub my hand over my skin to try to rid it of the warm tingling trail. But I couldn't help but look up at him and notice the dark hair that fell to hide the eye I might glimpse, the lean shape of his body, and the stiff nervous shifting of his leg as he listened. I looked down at my paper, moving my pencil but not really looking at what I was writing. I didn't look up again. I just listened and let my mind drift and wonder. Too distraught by those eyes to think about anything else. And when I finally looked at what I was writing, I noticed it wasn't letters. But a neat black and white sketch of his eyes, one half obscured by the waterfall of dark hair. And despite how I tried not to. I looked up and caught him looking at me. Meeting those ruby red pools from behind my dark shades just as the bell rang. All the bodies surged up cutting off our silent interrogation. And before I could even pick up my backpack and stand, he was gone.. I tried to rush out after him. To catch him. Not that I knew what to say.. Maybe just look...But it was when I was in the hallway, looking for him in the crowd, that I noticed what I hadn't before. I hadn't seen his aura or felt his thoughts...


	3. Lost

LOST

I tried very hard to forget him. To not let it get to me.. It is very possible that I just wasn't paying attention and that's why I didn't notice his aura or thoughts, right? Maybe his was weak and I just couldn't see it through my sunglasses. It could happen, right? That had to be it... Then why did I doubt it so much? And why did the possibility that I wasn't wrong in what I saw scare and excite me?.. But there was never anyone else like me. I came to terms with the fact I was alone in this a long time ago. As frightening and awful as it seemed, it was the one fact I could hold onto.. Another seer just can't show up. Not after seventeen years of me dealing with this alone.. Why didn't any of the others help me if there are more? Why..? I let my head fall into my hands. I'd been beating myself up over it for the last few days. He hadn't been in class. At least not the one class he had with me. And he was still enrolled. So he had to come back sometime, right? It's the only thing I could hope for. To see him. To ask him. To look again and see the aura I didn't see before. To ask him WHY I couldn't see his. I have an aura. It's different and brilliant, but it's there. I can look at my hands and watch it swirl around me. Seemingly seeping out of my pores.. It has always been a part of me that I most cherished. And if he is like me, his should have been as bright as mine. There would have been no denying it. Sunglasses or no sunglasses.. Yet there was nothing... Surely he isn't something else.. Something worse. Something that...gets rid of seers? Unbidden his intense eyes flashed in my head. How he looked at me, out of everyone else... No, that's idiotic. He couldn't be...Could he? The thought chilled me to the bone... But I hadn't seen any look of hate in his eyes. Just searching. Maybe a bit curious.. They didn't look like the eyes of a killer, though they were the color of blood. Gah! I had to know. It was killing me! So I jumped up. And not knowing what exactly I was doing, ran out of the house, ignoring the yelling in my wake. Cutting it off as I slammed the door behind me. And since I had no plan, I just kept going. Running until I couldn't anymore ad just sat down where I was. I felt heavy. My muscles were sore. And though I thought it was sweat that soaked my clothes; I felt the cool drops of rain kiss my cheek, not knowing when it had started. And as I sat there, lost and confused; I heard his voice..


	4. Blue Eyes

BLUE EYES

"How did you know I would be here?" Shail asked. His voice was guarded and muffled from somewhere behind me. I was too stunned to turn, let alone speak. How had I known to come here? I heard the soles of his shoes crunch over the wet dirt and rock. I could feel his body heat on my back and see his shadow extend over me because of a dull light source somewhere. Probably a street lamp or something. I focused on trying to figure that out, and not about what he might do. "Who are you?" He asked, his voice now tight. I dared to look over my shoulder to see his suspicious expression before it smoothed to a blank mask. I was surprised to see his eyes were blue. Either the lack of light allowed me to see his true eye color, or he had lost the contacts. Maybe he had simply applied a different pair of contacts? "I wanted to ask you the same question." I finally said, my voice soft. His eyes narrowed, though I couldn't tell if he was angry or what, and crossed his arms across his chest. But he didn't speak, merely surveyed me with a careful eye. "Why do you not have an..." I cut myself off, my hand fluttering to gesture around him. I didn't want to say something to reveal myself before he did. His brows pulled together as if he was in deep thought. He tilted his chin up, appearing to look down his nose at me for a moment. Then he turned and started to walk away. "Wait! Where are you going?" I called, my hand instinctively reaching for him. He didn't respond. So I gave chase. "Hey!" I grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop and spin around on me. The look in his eyes was deadly. And though everything in me scram for me to run, I didn't. I squared my shoulders, straightened my spine, and looked him in the eye. He drew back, like a cobra about to strike. "Please." The word came out soft, despite my posture. "I just..want to understand." His shoulders tightened but his eyes lost their razor sharp gaze. He was searching my face again. I could see something. Something that felt for my words. And then it was gone. He jerked my hands off him and turned his back on me. "I don't know what you want from me. Leave me alone." "You have to!" I screamed, desperate. "Leave me alone." He repeated, walking away. This time I didn't have the heart to follow him. I had almost convinced myself he was like me. That I wasn't alone. And the crushing weight of his denial to even talk to me kept me there. Pinned.


	5. Anger

ANGER "JERK!" Jasline yelled, throwing the root beer bottle she was drinking from. The glass shattering on impact. In most cases, at this time in the story, another girl would be sitting by me. Comforting me. Maybe even chastising me for breaking glass all over the place and littering. But I am alone in my anger. Allowed to do what ever stupid thing I want to do. And what I want to do is hit Shail. To shake him until he understands. But I have no proof he's like me. And as much as I want to. Hitting him won't make him admit it. It will probably have the opposite effect. And the thought of chasing away the one other person that could help me is terrifying. And what's worse is I'm still fighting myself on hitting him and I am going to walk into the class I share with him in a few minutes. That is, if he's here. But I have the strangest feeling he is. And my feelings are usually right. Unfortunately... So either this is going to be a very awkward class period. Or a very violent one. I hear the bell ring and it reminds me humorously of boxing. The shrill sound signaling the beginning of a fight. And that might be exactly what I'm heading for... Great. I've walked down these white walled hallways thousands of times.. And I've never felt like they were this long or daunting, thus giving me the feeling that I'm walking toward a courtroom where my punishment will be decided...I'm the first to reach the classroom. Relief washes over me and I hurry to take my seat at the back of the classroom. Hoping that maybe, just maybe, the teacher or some of the other students will hold off this conflict. That the faceless masses will discourage me, or him, from doing anything. Even though my anger says other wise. But as soon as I drop my bag and someone grabs my hand, I doubt that immediately. I look up, my eyes in angry slits, at the person that dared touch me. And I meet blue eyes glinting red. An unmistakable sign in the half light at the back of the classroom. That he is indeed a seer. And for a moment my anger was doused by the revelation. "I do not appreciate being followed." He said lowly. My anger spikes. No apology for his behavior. Just blunt disregard for me while half threatening me when I did not even know he was there. I did not follow him. And I was about to say that. "But I am sorry. I shouldn't have treated you that way." Shail said with a soft look in his eyes. "But you have to understand.. It isn't always safe for us. You scared me." "I...scared you..." I said slowly, baffled. It was the last thing I expected to hear from him. He seemed fully capable of kicking my ass while I was half his size. "Yes. You are powerful Jasline.. But I didn't realize until after I left that you didn't have your mind sheltered like mine. That your one of the lost." "The lost?" I asked, confused. "Yes." He looked over his shoulder at the stream of people coming in and those who had already. I hadn't noticed them. "But we can't talk now, Jasline. Later." He let go of my wrist hesitantly. But I couldn't tell if it was meant affectionate or a wary reaction. "Later." I repeated sternly. He nodded and went to his seat at the front of the class just as the bell rang again, signaling the beginning of class. And just like the first time he was in class, I didn't hear anything the teacher said. I kept glancing at him, and he at me. But it was less frightening now. Because I knew. I knew I wasn't alone.


	6. Obsessed

OBSESSED The class ended, and though I tried to get up as fast as possible. He was by my side before I ever stood from my seat, his had extended to me. I looked up at him, caught in the eyes so like mine, yet so different and slid my hand in his. He helped me up, his fingers strong around my small dainty hand. Making me feel even more fragile than I always felt I had been even though something in him looked like I was a ticking bomb. But that didn't matter. Because all I could think about was him. And even though we weren't alone in the room, I felt like we were. It was a surreal feeling... One he ruined.. "Can we talk later? I need to talk to you about your gift." He said, dropping my hand a little too fast and looking away. "I..guess.. What about lunch?" I responded, more than a little disappointed that he didn't seem to feel it. "Perfect. See you in two periods." He said briskly, smiling, and walking away. I stood there, my heart sore. I don't know why it upset me so much that he did this. I guess I expected him to be as excited about me as I was about him. But he clearly wasn't. But it seemed he knew so much more than me. So he had to have known others like us... That made me envy him. "Are you okay, Ms. Greywood?" Mrs. Snide called. "You going to be late." I snapped out of my reverie and forced a smile on my face. "I'm fine. Sorry." I said to pacify her, rushing out of the class, not giving her time to respond. Why did the person who came in my life and made me not feel so alone have to be so aggravating? He was mean, then nice, then something else.. I don't know what to think of him. But all I do is think of him.. Why did he avoid me?...Why did he apologize?... Why did he treat me almost like a threat to him? Am I dangerous. I pondered that and other things as I went through my next two classes. Both lived through in haze and mechanical motions. Paying attention only enough to keep myself out of trouble. And I couldn't help but curse him for how behind I am getting in my classes. He has only been around mere days and he seems to be everything I think about. So, when the bell rang to release us for lunch, I was the first out of my seat, the first in the hall, and the first into the cafe. Where he sat. Calm and composed by my usual seat. Like all he'd been doing was waiting for me.


	7. The 'Lost'

THE "LOST" I walked over to him and sat in my usual seat as the students finally made it into the cafe. But I didn't pay attention to them. Just Shail as he sat there ignoring me. Eating a French fry at his leisure. "You should eat." He said, startling me. "I took the liberty of getting yours for you." His eyes slid to look at my plate, sitting conveniently in front of me where I still managed not to see it. "Your welcome." I looked away from him, my cheeks burning. "Thank you." I said, glancing up to see he had already put his eyes back onto his own plate. I wanted to say something, but had nothing. So I ate grudgingly. Trying not to disregard his kindness. And found I was very hungry. Only now realizing I hadn't eaten in some time. Another thing I could blame easily on the attractive boy next to me. After finishing my food in record time, I turned to him. His eyes were on me and I couldn't help but be embarrassed about how I'd shoveled food in my mouth. But he didn't look disgusted, only intrigued. "You wanted to talk to me about something?" I asked. He broke his gaze from mine and nodded, saying, "Yes. About your powers.." He looked around. "Come with me?" I blinked, surprised he was asking rather than just stating it like a decision he'd already made and walking away. Expecting me to follow. It's what I might see him doing. He was so hard to follow. "Okay." I said. Quickly getting up when he did, ignoring how the preppy girls pretty much hissed in my wake because I was with the, quote, "hot new guy". He lead me to a secluded place in the back of the school where there was a cement walk way about waist high from where we stood. Shail lifted himself up onto it, patting the place by him. So I sat by him. He was quiet a moment. Staring into space as he thought about how to start. "Jasline. You are one of The Lost." He said seriously, turning his intense gaze on me. "The Lost are ones of our talent that we tend to fear." "Why?" I said, looking at my hands and my swirling aura. Wondering if it was somehow different...dangerous.. "Because. The Lost tend to be unpredictable. Usually they tend to be part of The Lost by choice. Meaning they strictly oppose us. They are dangerous." He explained. "Why would they oppose you?" "We have rules. Regulations. And for some people, it's hard to follow those rules. Some people hate being bossed around. But that's not what we try to do. The Lost don't understand how dangerous they can be by themselves. Why they need the Vard to protect them and the people around them." He said, almost pleading with me to understand. "So...they want to use their gift without restriction.. And therefore can be dangerous?" I said, slowly, questioningly. "Yes. And some...some don't want to use their powers for the right things." He said gravely. "Like...evil people. Villains?" He smiled and nodded. "Yes. People with twisted minds. Ones which I can't understand why they were gifted." He sighed wearily. "And then there are ones like you." "Like me?" I said, somewhat frightened. "The ones who are part of The Lost merely because they were lost from us. Many people just left us because they didn't want to be part of the danger. They wanted so much to be normal. Or sometimes, more awful reasons.. But they aren't a danger to us. Not usually." He said, trying to pick his words wisely. A weight was lifted from my shoulders that I hadn't realized had been there. "So..I'm not dangerous?" "Not because you want to be... You don't want to hurt me, right?" He said, then wincing. "No!" I said quickly, no hesitation. "I wouldn't hurt you.." "Then you need to trust me. Or you might hurt someone...Or they might hurt you."


	8. Found?

FOUND?

"I do trust you, Shail."

He smiled the warmest smile I've ever seen. It made my stomach flutter and my heart skip a beat. "Good. Then I will help you.. Come to me. After school. You'll know where to go."

"Okay." I said, but he was already leaving.

The rest of the day I kept remembering the last words he'd said. I don't know if it was my imagination. But It sounded... It sounded like he was starting to feel some of what I was...But of course that had to be my imagination. He didn't like me.

No matter how dreamy I thought his startling blue eyes were; How graceful and well spoken I believed he was; Or how much his lithe beauty left me breathless. Nothing about me seemed to interest him. Only my power.. It was heart breaking to think that my first crush didn't see anything in me.

But even though I knew seeing him again would only cause me personal pain. I went to him. Even though I knew there was some force I could go to now to help me. That I might find them. I was too weak to try to face that alone.

He was the only one I could go to.

Even though I wanted to just skip my other classes and wait for him somewhere. I went through my classes. Running out of my last class like a bat out of hell. They already thought I was weird, why not fit the image a little bit?

And he was right, I found him immediately. "How did you know?" I asked out of breath.

"You found me the last time you wanted to." He responded simply with a smile.

"That is not a lot to go on."

"It was enough." He said matter-of-factly. "Your first lesson will have to be to shield your mind. It will protect you from mental attacks. That way you can run from them. Defense is an important first step."

"But if they want to hurt me, shouldn't I know an attack that will disable them so I can run?" I asked meekly.

"No!" He yelled, and I flinched. His face softened, but a storm still raged in his eyes. "You cannot ever try to fight them, Jasline. You run. You run as fast as you can."

I stared at him. Not knowing exactly what to say. What do you say in response to something like that? Something that seemed to scare someone you were sure was much stronger than you?

He grabbed my shoulders so hard I knew there would be bruises. "Promise me."

"I promise." I said so softly I wasn't sure he heard.

But he nodded stiffly and let go, letting his eyes finally drift away. "Good. So we will work on defense." He said, the tightness gone from his voice, leaving it devoid of anything.

His hand went into his jacket then came out with a polished rock. It was flat, kind of like a saucer, with small ridges and was a deep, dark color like marble with a blue sheen. He sat it in my hand, and I was surprised at how heavy the palm sized rock was. He closed my hand around it and my sensitive fingertips brushed over it. It felt slick and somewhat warm.

"This will help you focus." He instructed dryly, "You will learn how to focus by yourself later. But seeing as you've already went a long enough time without protection. We need to learn fast."

"Will it hurt?"

"Pay attention, Jasline. Now, what I want you to do is focus on the rock. Like you would a person when you wanted to select just their thoughts from a crowd. Have you tried this before?" Shail said quickly.

"Yes. Trying to select just one persons thoughts. I've done that."

"Good. Do it. It will thread your thoughts through the rock and it will sort them and protect them. And before you ask, no, not just ANY rock can do this. Now. This is a bit of an unorthodox method. But it will teach you quicker than any other route. And after only a few weeks. You'll be able to block your mind without it's help. But it has other uses. So, please...try not to loose it. Especially before your capable of protecting yourself. Understand?" He said, very teacher like.

"Yes. I understand." I said, feeling rather like a slow minded student trying to keep up with a fast paced teacher.

"Okay. Here comes your part. Do as I instructed. Concentrate on the rock. Try to read just its mind. No questions. Just do it." He said, and I shut my mouth on the question I was about to ask.

"Okay.." I muttered and turned my attention to the rock.

I focused on it. Selecting its "mind" from all those around. Feeling the existence of everything else falling away where only the rocks mind and my invading mind were. And, amazingly, I felt something. I heard the racing, unintelligible 'thoughts' of something that seemed old and very wise. It roused slowly. Finally responding to my probing mind, like nothing else ever had.

Then it grabbed my mind, hauling it in. And I could not help but resist. And to resist it only made it pull harder.. It hurt. I knew I was screaming. But it continued to pull me. And I couldn't fight it. I lost all will to rebel and lunged forward into darkness.


	9. Pain

PAIN

I woke up in intense pain. It coursed in foreign ways through my skull. Making it feel like it had mutated into something completely different. Like my whole mind had been rearranged. And all I could do was cry softly, absolutely still. The smallest of movements only made awful pain go through my head like lightning bolts.

So after what felt like forever of lying completely still, the pain faded to a dull ache. And I tried, very slowly to open my eyes.. The light was harsh on my sensitive eyes, making them sting and causing my head to hurt. But not half as bad as it had been hurting. So I blinked away the haze and looked around.

The last thing I remembered was Shail. So automatically I looked for his handsome face, but all I was met with was the site of my familiar room. But it looked so different. Like I was looking through different eyes. Because I noticed hundreds of things I had never noticed before.

The scratches on the wood of my chair across the room and the small warping of the window across from my bed. Such things I never noticed before because I just simply didn't think about it. And because I shouldn't be able to see those things unless I was looking for them.. Somehow my sight had suddenly gotten remarkably better. Like someone had flipped a switch and turned on my super senses.

Which made me take in a deep breath as an experiment. And I could smell EVERYTHING. The sweet, decaying smell of the flowers I sat in a vase on my desk yesterday. The bitter smell of the polish I had used to clean the marks from my black leather shoes. And even the itchy, congesting smell of the dust under my bed.. I sat up quickly, thinking, this must be how dogs feel ALL THE TIME. Except I'm not seeing in black and white and have the intense urge to gnaw a bone.

Then I hit my forehead for being so retarded. Though it felt doubly more unpleasant than I meant it. Because all the blood rushed else where, making me dizzy. And I had just smacked myself with the rock Shail had given me. Apparently, I had never let go of it. Reminding me to think, how the hell did I get back home?

The most obvious reason I was here would be that Shail had simply carried me home. But that of course would be suicide. And I might actually have to go digging in the yard to find my darkly clad new friend. Because my parents would of surely killed any guy who carried an unconscious me home.. I could see them doing that.

But I shook the thought away. They weren't that crazy.. And they surely thought I was the one more capable of that than them. And I'm sure they wouldn't be alone on that thought. A lot of people probably think I am a serial killer.

I groaned and licked my dry lips. Grimacing at the overpowering taste of blood.. Seems I had bitten my lip too. Oh what a wonderful...night? How freaking long had I been out? It had been sun up when I had started to stare at the rock in my hand. I know it was.

I would of been pacing right now, but my head was still throbbing. And the thought of doing that much moving around made my stomach turn.. Oh god, I shouldn't think about that. I might really puke...

After I sat there for a bit, still freaking out, wondering what happened. I realized Shail must know. He must of left a note. Something. So I looked.

I searched on table tops, In my pockets, The rock, Everywhere... But nothing..

It made me wonder if maybe he didn't know what happened. Maybe he was trying to figure it out right now.. And then I thought, what if he did know. What if he let me do it and hurt myself.. It made my heart jump in my throat.

He wouldn't do that right? He wouldn't let me do something that would hurt me...Well... It hurt but I'm not dead, right?...But what if it could of killed me.

But now, my mind was going rampant on the ifs and buts and maybes. But the one thing I was sure of was Shail was the one who gave me the rock. And I was sure that the rock was what hurt me. But I was also aware that it was what made these neat changes in my senses...

It helped me right? I had no reason to believe I was ever truly in danger. I'm just over reacting because all of that happened so fast. And it scared me. Right...Right?


	10. Worry

WORRY

It was Saturday. So I had no school, not that I minded that. But then I had no hope to run into the mysterious Shail today. Leading to how I was walking around aimlessly. Hoping that my feet would lead me to him.

What had happened the day before had began to nag at me. And the newfound gifts were rising all new questions. Ones only Shail would have any luck answering.. But so far, all my feet had done for me was start to hurt. Great.

So I finally collapsed onto a bench in the middle of the park, stroking the mysterious rock between my fingers. It still scared the shit out of me. How it had so easily wrangled up my mind and pulled it in. It made me realize how small and weak I was in comparison to this world I'd been born into. It also made me question my existence as I had never had before.

"How was I born a seer and my parents are normal? How have I never found any other people like me? Why didn't they find me? What's happening to me?" I spoke softly to unresponding surroundings.

I groaned and let my head fall into my hands, the cool rock nestled against my temple. I stared at the grassy earth for a few moments. Watching light glisten off the waxy green coat. Then I let my eyes drift shut. Just wanting to pause for a moment.

Yeah, like that was going to happen.

"Hey, you." A voice close by beckoned gruffly.

I peeked up through my fingers to see a man approaching me. He was broad shouldered and tall, his grey and black attire tight over well refined muscles. He was quite intimidating, though his almost white hair and lavender eyes just made him seem off. He couldn't of been over thirty, and no one has lavender eyes..

But what seemed to chill me more was the red headed girl following behind him. She was considerably smaller than him. Her size made her look almost breakable beside him. But she had a frightening strong air about her. Her steps sure and posture holding an air of authority while her blue eyes sliced right through what ever she choice to look at. And right now, she was looking at me.

I took a quick look around, confirming that I was the only person he could be suggesting. I didn't know them, how could I be who they were looking for? But they were headed right for me. Nothing suggesting otherwise. And I wanted to run so bad.

He stopped a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest in a severe stance. "You need to come with me."

"Come with you? Why?" I asked, puzzled. "What did I do?"

"No questions. Just come with us and everything will be okay." He said. "You won't be asked again."

I stared at them. Not sure what else to do. Hadn't Shail told me people would come after me? Could these two be those people? Fear took to me and I could feel my fingers trembling.

What do I do? No one is close enough to hear me scream. Oh god, I wish I had stayed close to the people I saw earlier. Hadn't Shail been warning me the whole time? Oh god...

Unbidden I heard Shail's voice in my head _'You cannot ever try to fight them, Jasline. You run. You run as fast as you can... Promise me.'_

So that's what I did. I ran. Despite the how weary I was, I pulled every reserve out of me and bolted. Trying to get as far from them as possible.

I could hear their footfalls behind me and the man's rough voice as he yelled at me. But I wasn't going to stop. I couldn't. I just had to find Shail. He'd help me. Oh god, Oh fuck. Please let me find him.

Something suddenly jerked hard on me. Almost pulling me to a stop. But no one had touched me. It was like someone had reached out and had tried to pull me back by my mind. Tried to cripple me.

And when I looked back, I saw her eyes on me. Glistening an eerie red as she let her powers loose on me.. I didn't see their eyes glistening red before. They must know how to cloak it. To hide it from their prey... I'm so in over my head.

And the man. Well, he was gaining a lot faster than he should.. I know I'm not that athletic, but it had been seconds and he was almost caught up to me. I should of had longer until he was able to, even if he was an Olympics Champion.

But no matter any logic. I was a goner. I could already feel his fingers reach out to grab my shirt. Ready to pull me back on my ass and hold me down while the girl turned my brain to mush.

_'Stop...Stop running...Your safe...Give up...' _Came a soft reassurance at the edge of my consciousness and I felt my steps falter.

"No!" I yelled, trying to push her out.

_'..Shh...Stop...We'll help you...We'll protect you...' _She said in a muffled voice inside my head.

I could feel her pushing. Drilling past my defenses. It was excruciating. Like she was chiseling away at a wall around my mind with an pick axe. Shaking my hold with every hit.

"STOP IT!" I screamed. It was getting hard to see clearly.

_'...Let me in...I'll help you..'_ She cooed, more clearly, wretching more of my defenses away.

"Please! Leave me alone!" I cried out, tears running down my cheeks.

The man had grabbed my shirt, almost knocking me over. I'd escaped being pulled down, but it had taken my concentration off keeping her out. And she broke through. Sending a sharp pain into my head, making me scream. I crumpled in on myself and he grabbed be around the waist.

_'There, all is well. It's okay.'_ She said softly in my head.. Then I felt her start with surprise. _'...Shail...'_

_"NO!" _I screamed at her both mentally and physically. Pushing her away from my thoughts of Shail. I would not let her get him too. Never.

"Jasline." I heard Shail say. A thrum of energy cascading over my body, making the pain go away.

"Shail..." I said softly. "Run...Run Shail.."


	11. Rescue

RESCUE

I opened my eyes and saw blue eyes. I screamed. I hated her. Hated her for hurting me. Hated her for finding Shail in my head. I fought against her.

"Jasline! Jasline, please stop."

I froze, met not with her voice but Shail's. I turned to look back into the blue eyes to see they were not that of the red headed woman, but his. His comforting, serious eyes. Concern radiating from him as he cradled me in his arms.

"Jasline. Are you okay?" He asked, running his hand over my cheek.

I couldn't respond. I just stared at him in utter relief. The lift in my heart making me break out in ragged sobs.

"Jasline...Jasline.." He muttered soothingly, pulling me against his chest and burying his face in my hair. "Did they hurt you?" His voice was hard. Shocking me with the coldness of it in comparison with his earlier tone.

"Shail.. I thought they had found you...She said your name...I was so scared." I said between sobs, clutching onto him.

His body became less rigid, pulling me closer to him. "No... I am safe. I'm sorry I wasn't there... I came to you as fast as I could. They almost took you.."

His voice was so heavy with guilt and gentleness I had too look up to make sure it was him. To make sure that he hadn't morphed into something else that was trying to trick me. But I met his blue eyes. A glimmer of red in the top left from the stream of light coming in the window. It was certainly him.

"You were worried...about me?" I asked. Having to know for certain.

"Yes... I couldn't bear it if you were hurt, Jasline." He said, gazing at me adoringly.

"Shail.."

"Jasline." He whispered, placing his hand on the nape of my neck and pulling my mouth to his.


	12. Love

LOVE

As corny as it sounded to me before that you'd see fireworks when you kissed someone you cared for deeply. That is exactly what happened. It was amazing. And I guess it helped that he was such a fantastic kisser.. I could barely breath when he finally pulled away. And I was surprised to see he was breathing heavier too.

His thumb traced over the seam of my bottom lip as he leaned his forehead against mine. "I'm sorry. I've been such a jerk. I thought I had a reason... I didn't want to get too close. I'm dangerous for you to be around.."

"I understand. And I don't care. I just want you to be with me. Please. I don't want to be alone again."

"I'll never leave you alone again. I promise." He said seriously, gazing deeply into my eyes.

I smiled and pressed my lips to his again. Savoring how gently he returned the kiss. I could lose myself in the warmth of it..

"Jasline, Why are you crying?" Shail asked softly, his thumb brushing the moisture from my cheek. "Did I hurt you? Are you okay? Did they-"

I pressed my fingers to his lips. Gazing into his eyes that rumbled with the confused turbulence of a hurricane. He intrigued and completed me. I had never felt like I belonged somewhere. And now I did. As frightening and dangerous as this world had begun to look, I couldn't feel anything but relief.

"I belong. You found me, and now I am whole again." I whispered, moving my fingers off his lips. "It sounds silly, I know.."

"No, it isn't silly... I understand." He said.

"I'm happy. That's all. I'm happy." I muttered, snuggling into his embrace.

He held me close for a moment, resting his chin on my head. Then his body went rigid as he said, "Your parents are home. I have to leave."

"No. Please don't go. They won't be mad. On the contrary, I'm sure they would be thrilled to know I'm making friends and being 'normal'." I pleaded, holding onto him. "Please."

"No." He said sternly, fighting with my grasp on him. His automatic refusal stung me.

"You don't want to meet my parents?..Well, it doesn't have to be like a...a boyfriend thing. Meet them as my friend?" I asked meekly, afraid at how suddenly he changed. Fearing he'd leave and not come back for some bizarre reason.

"I CAN'T! Let go of me, Jasline!" He hissed, trying to stand and tear himself away.

He ripped his arm away. The gesture like a cut to my heart."Shail!" I cried out. "I'm sorry! Please."

He stormed away from me as fast as he could, opening the window. He turned to look at me, a deep hurt on his face. "I'm sorry." He said, turning his face away and jumping onto the window sill.

But before he could jump, my bedroom door burst open, my father standing in the doorway. He'd never barged into my room before, and I don't think I've ever seen him so angry. And by the look on Shail's face, my father scared the shit out of him.

"Who the hell are you?" My father yelled, pointing a finger at Shail.

Shail didn't respond. He seemed frozen in place. Just perched there like a black bird on my sill. Staring at my father like he had a gun and was about to kill him.. This seemed to anger my father and he ran at him, faster thani had ever seen him move, and grab his collar, dragging him back into the room.

"Who is he, Jasline?" My father snarled, shaking him like a rag doll.

"Don't hurt him, Daddy!" I wailed, scrambling to my feet.

"Why is he in our house, Jasline? Do you know who he is? Did he hurt you?" I was shocked at the concern in my father's voice. He never seemed to care one way or another about me.

"He's a friend, Dad. Please, put him down." I begged.

"He is not a friend, Jasline." My mother said from the doorway, her eyes locked on Shail's obscured face.

"What? You don't even know him. Please, Daddy, put him down."

"You have no idea who he is, Jasline." My mother snapped, looking up at me.

"His name is Shail. He's just a kid from school."

My mother's eyes widened then narrowed to evil looking slits. "No, he is not just some kid. I can't believe you are so ignorant! I-" She stopped midsentence, her eyes dropping to the ground and her shoulders sagged. "That's right. I'm supposed to protect you. I didn't want you to know anything about this.." She sighed, running a hand over her face.

"What's going on? Know about what, Mom?"

She looked back up at me and approached me slowly, like I was a dangerous animal. "Now Jasline. Please don't be angry with me when I explain this. I hid it for good reason."

"Hid what?" I asked warily as she continued to approach.

"This.." She closed her eyes, then opened them. The tell-tale gleam of red passed over her eyes as the light hit them.


	13. Family Secrets

FAMILY SECRETS

"Oh my..." I muttered, my knees giving out on me. "I was...I thought..."

My eyes flickered between my parents. How could they not tell me? My own parents? Even if they did hate me. This is just plain cruelty. How could they let me go through all of this?

"Mom..?" I whispered, tears of pain again streaming down my cheeks. Washing away my happiness again.

"We didn't want you to know. We tried everything. We tried to be as distant as possible. We tried to keep our world away from you... But your powers just would never go away..."

"Then why didn't you tell me!"

"We couldn't." My father said sternly, still holding Shail in his iron grip. But Shail wasn't moving.

"Why?" I sobbed.

"By exposing you any more, we risked your well-fair. All we could hope to achieve was to keep other Seers away. To protect you." My mother said, trying to convince me of what she said.

"And in so letting me suffer? Why not just tell me you understood? Why not make me feel less like a freak, at least within my own home?"

"So many times when you were little, you almost figured us out. We had to push you away. We had to isolate you." My mother said, extending her hand to me. "If we had let you know. Given you proof like now. It would of alerted the other Seers. Seers like this boy.. We're in danger now, Jasline. We can't stay here."

"We never wished to hurt you, Jasline. We love you." My father said seriously.

I stared at them in disbelief. Wondering if I should really give into the seemingly sincere looks of guilt, remorse, and pleading I saw etched in their faces. If what they said was true, they had only wanted to protect me. But they hadn't given me a choice. They had let me suffer, even if they believed it was for my own good.

I jumped up, taking the few lunging steps I needed to hit into my fathers arm and pull Shail from his grasp. "I hate you! I hate you both! Shail is the only one who ever tried to help me understand! And your treating him like trash!" I held him tight as he leaned against me, breathing heavily. I wasn't even sure he was conscious.

"But you don't understand, Jasline. That boy, he's dangerous! He means to hurt you, Jasline." My mother pleaded, a look of fear in her eyes.

My father reached out gingerly, calmly. "Let me have him Jasline. He could hurt you. It wouldn't matter to him if you were hurt in the middle of this."

"He'd never hurt me! He loves me. Unlike you!" I spat at him.

"Jasline! Please!" My mother pleaded in panic. "He's going to wake up."

"He won't hurt me. He's never-" Suddenly the memory of the rock passed through my mind, halting my argument midstride.

"Jasline?" My mother beckoned me from my thoughts. My name soft on her lips.

"He...He would never...He loves me.. He promised not to leave me.."

"He lies Jasline. He wants you to trust him." My father said, his hand closer. "Give him to me before he wakes."

"Please." My mother said. "I'm sorry I lied to you. I'll teach you everything. I won't let you be alone anymore." She pleaded. "Just don't let him hurt you. Don't let him take you away."

I stared at them both. Torn between the new possibility of being with my true parents or my love. Both promised me answers and companionship. And despite the years of distance from my parents, I loved them just as I loved Shail. I just didn't know who to trust. Who wasn't lying..

"Jasline..." Arms tightened around me. "Jasline... Let me go."

I clung tighter to Shail, looking down into his half open eyes. "No. They will hurt you."

"Jasline. Let them take me." He said, his eyes not wavering. "They are telling the truth."

"No." I shook my head violently. "No, she's making you say that, isn't she? It isn't true."

"Jasline." He said brokenly. "I'm sorry, but its true. I was sent to kill you... Please, let them take me... Please. I don't want to be forced to hurt you."

"No! Your lying! You wouldn't hurt me!" My arms tighten around you.

"I would kill you, Jasline. I would kill you if I wanted to or not." He said coldly, and the eyes I met were just as frosty.

"Shail.." My hands slowly away, his face blurring as tears filled my eyes. "Why?"

"I have no choice, Jasline.. No choice."

Suddenly an awful pain passed through my chest and a strangled sound came out of my mouth. My eyes widened as I felt the hot blood soak into my shirt. And the whole time I was looking into his eyes. Watching as they turned from ice cold to panicked.. I heard three different, terrified screams. Then I didn't hear anything. I didn't see anything. I was alone..


	14. Revived

REVIVED

I took a deep breath as I was suddenly, and painfully jerked back to awareness. "Was it- Was it the rock- The rock..?" I blurted out loud, but the words came out slurred and hardly understandable.

"Shhh. Don't talk." I heard my father said. I could hear his labored breathing and the worry in his voice,

"What...What is...it..." I asked, trying to move my hand, but only able to twitch my fingers.

Pain coursed through my body. Worse than anything I'd experienced. It was hard to stay awake at points. But right when I felt like I was going under, someone patted my face and brought me back. I didn't want to be aware of the pain. I wanted to slip back into unconsciousness.

"Mommy.." I cried. The sound distorted. My tongue too heavy to form the single word properly.

A broken sob responded to my cry and I felt fingers grip my hand tightly. My hand was slippery with something. I could tell. But I couldn't tell what it was. I was just happy she actually came. I couldn't stop my lips from forming the affectionate title, even though my mouth didn't want to cooperate to speak it.

"It's okay honey... It's okay. Just stop trying to speak.. It's okay."

I ceased my attempts to speak. Letting my body rest and listen to my mothers soothing voice. Using all I had to concentrate on it and stay awake.. It had been so long since she sounded so affectionate and stroked my hand in that calming way. It made me so happy, despite the pain.

Finally, the pain stopped. But I couldn't feel anything. Not even my mother's hand. But I could hear her. So I knew I was awake. I knew I hadn't went into shock yet.

"Daddy-" I whispered. Forcing my tongue to make the words right. "Don't- don't hurt...Shail."

He didn't respond and my chest constricted. "Daddy-"

He remained silent. "Promise!" I said with all my might, leaving me woozy.

"I promise.." He said grudgingly.

"Good..." I whispered so soft I doubt he heard, then let the darkness take me again.


	15. New World

NEW WORLD

I awoke lucid and feeling rejuvenated. Which was quite different from the past few times I had drifted off in such strange situations. But what was even more disturbing was that I realized I wasn't in my room anymore. I was in what looked like an old rustic basement. The walls a dull stone decorated by hung tapestries.

I sat up quickly, and still no pain assaulted me, only a temporary feeling of weightlessness because I had risen too fast. Nothing seemed right anymore. When I got used to certain occurrences, they ceased to happen. An effective way to keep me on my toes in this very unbalances time.

"Jasline." A voice said softly, nearly a moan of relief.

I snapped my head in the direction it came from, my eyes wide. But it was only my mother, even though she didn't look quite like my mother. She had discarded her normal crisp clothes and wore a long flowing red velvet dress, tied at the waist with an emerald green sash. If it hadn't looked so elegant, it might of given her the appearance of being someone in a cult.

"Mom? Wh-"

"Shh, no questions right now. You need to eat. You've slept for days. Which made the progression of your healing easier, but you weren't able to eat properly. You must be famished."

"I'm not." I said sincerely, but she only smiled like she had when I was a young child, like she knew something I didn't.

"Come now, you need to eat." She said, holding her hand out to me.

I slid off the bed I had been on, which was actually a marble table covered in a multitude of pillows and blankets. It was odd, unlike anything I had seen before. Though everything seemed to be getting strange. Like the fact I had realized there were no windows here and it had the stall smell of a cave.

"Where are we? Are we underground?"

"We are in hiding." My mother said softly, rubbing soothing circles on my hand with her thumb. "This is one of our hideouts. A friend who maintains it was the one who healed you. She is very talented."

I furrowed my brow, confused for a moment before I remembered what happened. And worse, who had plunged the blade into my chest. I could barely breath as that reality came back to me, as if I was reliving it. Turning the calm I had felt since my waking turn into a intense pressure all over me. It was stifling.

I tore at the collar of the dress I wore, unbuttoning the row of buttons at the top and uncovering the scar underneath. And like magic the choking feeling faded as my fingers touched the smooth pink line on my chest. The small, straight scar healed together much more than it should be.

"How-"

"She is very talented. And don't you fret about that boy. He won't touch you ever again."

"Shail-"

"We didn't hurt him. In fact, he's still here."

I sighed in relief, the corners of my mouth curling in a smile. "Can I-?"

"No. You are not permitted to see him. Besides, you can't reach where he is on your own. And your father will not take you to him." She studied my face calmly. "And we have to turn him in, Jasline. He tried to kill you. He is one of the Lost."

"I am one of the Lost." She argued.

She smiled that smile again, like I was so ignorant. "Come."

She took my hand again, leading me down hallways that all looked the same. We passed doors make of different kinds of stone, most of dark color inset with lighter ones. Everything here looked odd, different but beautiful in its strong earthy way. Despite the foreign feel of it, I felt at ease. Which was another strange thing.

She opened two doors which looked like they were make of onyx inset with strange designs of quarts. She reached out as if to touch it. But the scene within distracted her.

The room was like a round hollow thing, a beam of light leaking in from a skylight high above, hitting mirrors to light the room. Crystals hung from the high ceiling, stealing strands of the light to cast rainbows over the black surfaces. Everything was made from the same dark stone as the door, accented with swirling patterns of quarts. It was breath-taking and surreal. Like a scene from a story book.

Her father rose from the end of the long table upon which sat more food than they had even served on thanksgiving. "Jasline. We missed your company. But Ealeen did well to mend your injuries as quickly and carefully as possible." His smile was intoxicating and she felt her face light up with one of her own. "We do have much to discuss, honey."


End file.
